London's Burning
by ByakuyaxRenji
Summary: Inspired by the ME3 trailer, follow a ragtag group of Soldiers through London as they try and stop the Reapers until Shepard arrives.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or Bioware, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while.

AN: This is only my second ME fan fiction and I'm using the ME3 teaser trailer as a basis for this. Reviews and comments welcome, my writing however is a little on the rusty side.

Thanks for reading, if your interested I play as a Female Shepard/Paragon/Spacer/Sole Survivor/Vanguard. ME 1&2 romance is Liara.

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They attacked with no warning, there was nothing we could do but take up arms and fight to the death. My London town is burning, burning, burning and there is no hope in sight. I've been running through the streets of London trying to regroup with my fellow soldiers but so far I've not been able to spy a soul at least not one that doesn't look like something from a horror film. I take cover in the ruins of Westminster Abbey and pause to catch my breath and repeat the phrases I know I must if I happen upon another living person or soldier, "Lt. Commander Amelia Grey, Alliance Military." it might seem pointless to repeat my name and rank but you can't be too careful with the state that the city is in. All communications have ceased unless you count the ones that are coming from the sky, to tell you the truth its getting tiresome listening to someone spout about your destruction when it can be seen clear as day right in front of you.

Before we got separated my team spoke of a name we'd dare not speak in front of the Alliance Brass, for that name was seen as traitorous despite the actions of said individual and to see the pained looked on Captain Shepard's face was enough to cause us to curse the Brass even more, as a Mother she deserved better than to hear her daughter's name dragged through the political storm that followed the destruction of the SSV Normandy, and the subsequent traitorous slurs that followed her resurrection at the hands of Cerberus.

Commander Alissa Shepard, was a hero to many and to those of us on Earth during this bleak and dark time a beacon of hope all we had to do is hold the line but it seems the line we are holding is fracturing. Reapers, we had heard the rumours of course but the Brass hushed it up as quickly as it came to light but they couldn't stop the gossiping amongst the soldiers nor the reports from the Traverse that filtered through the channels. When the invasion first began all that could took up arms and the bare bones are what's left to fight another day.

I hear a low groaning noise to my left and silently load my rifle before looking up from my position, something that was once human is moving in on my location and if I don't move quickly I'm going to be its next victim. I vault over the low wall and take off running west across Victoria Street and right onto Storey's Gate, I can hear the blood pumping in my ears and I force myself to speed up. I'm an Alliance Marine and I'm not going to die this day, I dart left onto Great George Street before taking the first right into Horse Guards Road hoping beyond hope that the Winston Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms are still standing. The smell in the air is acrid its nauseating to say the least, charred bodies and buildings lay all around. I hear a ping as a bullet bounces of my aged armour,

"Don't shoot." I yell, "I'm Alliance" I add before dropping down to my knees in surrender,

"Name and Rank." the shooter yells back,

"Lt Commander Amelia Grey" I reply as my breathing gets heavier, you would think I didn't work out but I'm in the shape of my life. I hear boots crunching on the gravel that is this old and worn London street and the shooter appears before me,

"Stand up LT, welcome to hell" he adds with a smirk as he helps me to my feet,

"Captain Jonah Green, at your service. Lets get you into our safe haven and a debriefing." by this point I'm too exhausted to even acknowledge him and allow the Captain to lead the way into the Museum.

The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms a place where a legend once walked in the face of adversity during the bombings of London during the Blitz was now the home of a ragtag force of Alliance Soldiers. I was led deeper into the complex and to the man in charge,

"We found another soldier, Sir" Captain Green spoke softly toward the man sitting in the shadows of the room we had entered,

"So there is still some hope left for this city, state your rank soldier." he asked without a moment's pause,

"Lt. Commander Amelia Grey, Alliance Military." he chuckled, "Welcome to Hell, LT. I hope you fight as well as you run Marine." I took a deep breath before answering, I'd finally found a group of soldiers who weren't willing to sacrifice this city to those damn machines,

"I can Sir and I will until my last breath or until help arrives. I plan to hold the line until the bitter end." I added a salute at the end as the man in the chair leaned forward to gaze at me, "Well then it's a pleasure to meet you Lieutenant Commander Grey, I'm Admiral Charles Windsor and this is what's left of London's defence; I do hope you are up for a challenge." absent-mindedly I nodded,

"Get some rest, you look like hell" he added with a dismissive wave as Captain Green led me away. I slumped in a corner against the farthest wall I could find and took another deep breath, my team it would appear were dead and there was nothing I could do about it but keep on fighting, for them and for my own honour to show the rest of the world and the galaxy that humanity had a reason to be amongst the stars even if I myself never desired to set foot off Earth. Closing my eyes I thought back to just a few weeks ago when everything was fine, the skies were bright and I didn't really have a care in the world.

Despite being Alliance on Earth there was never anything pressing to do aside from drill training and listening to the reports from Arcturus Station, now we were in the midst of a war that no one saw coming, well unless you were Commander Shepard and Cerberus that is. Despite my allegiance to the Alliance I hoped that Shepard was coming to save the day, it was that thought alone that drove me to keep on fighting.


	2. Chapter 2

This attack is well co-ordinated and precise every major city falling within hours of those squid like metal machines descending from the heavens and yet still our call for aide goes unanswered. The Citadel Council and its member races seem to have abandoned us and left us to fight this menace alone despite everything we did for them we're still judged on that one damn war. The signal is broadcast on all frequencies even in the now defunct Morse code in hope that someone, anyone will respond. Our cities are burning and our people are being decimated, only the few brave soldiers that have so far avoided detection can help us now; may the Gods of this world watch over them until help if it ever comes arrives.

Command Alissa Shepard of the Normandy SR2 watched the extranet reports as they filtered through from Earth, somehow someone had gotten footage of the Reaper invasion out to the masses but the response was far from decisive. The Council was unwilling to commit its resources into helping out the Alliance, deeming the Reaper invasion as a human problem despite the fact that humanity alone couldn't handle the threat and no matter how hard Shepard pleaded with them they weren't willing to commit their fleets to aide her. It appeared that the Reapers would get their wish and wipe out all of humanity until amongst the reports came a glimmer of hope.

It was brief and for only a moment but if you looked carefully at the video footage streaming on the extranet you'd see something extraordinary from the burning cities of Earth. Glimpses of Alliance uniform as all those that were willing and able took up arms against the machines. The young and the old, the forgotten and the soon to be forgotten were not willing to allow their planet to die without some resistance. The pattering of gunfire and the triumphant sounds of soldiers downing the enemy filtered through the video feeds like some kind of virus, the 'Boom, Headshot' and 'Fire in the hole' became a source of hope for those humans still within Citadel space whose eyes couldn't pull away from the feeds; humanity was fighting back with what little resources they had.

Shepard watched as an Alliance soldier darted around the enemy, pausing only to take a breath and reload their rifle. The weaponry was primitive and nothing compared to what Shepard and her crew were using out in the Terminus system yet the soldiers were still making an impact. It warmed her heart a little to know that humanity was still giving its all even though the future was looking bleak. The Soldier took off again, dodging a lone husk before turning and firing off a single round at the creature before making a run for cover in a badly damaged building. Shepard wondered what was keeping them going, what hope they held in their hearts that made them unwilling to just surrender to the Reapers; little did she know that they were hoping for her.

Rations at the Winston Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms were on the scarce side yet when Amelia opened her eyes she found an MRE at her feet. It tasted just like they always had chewy with a hint of cardboard but in times like these you didn't complain about what you were given. After swallowing down the MRE, and checking over her rifle Amelia stood up and looked around the room she had taken shelter in. A few other Alliance soldiers were sitting at a makeshift table playing a game of cards, whilst others were taking the time to rest and eat; it really was the bare bones of a resistance.

Amelia pushed up from the floor and re-holstered her rifle to her back before heading toward where she had met Admiral Windsor the day before, she found him in a discussion with Captain Green and it sounded rather heated and despite her military training she couldn't help but listen in,

"Don't you get it Captain, help isn't coming. The Council isn't sending any fleets of Ships and Shepard isn't going to rush in and save the day. We are on our own, Captain and sooner rather than later we will all be mindless creatures or dead." shaking her head Amelia turned toward the door of the Museum and left, the streets were still in disarray and the screams were becoming second nature to anyone that was brave or foolish enough to walk through this godforsaken City but she couldn't stay in place where Soldiers had given up and were just waiting for their fate, for her entire life she had been a fighter and in these dark times that was no difference; her squad could still be out in the streets of London and if they were she was going to find them.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - Sorry for the delay in updating this. Bioware owns all I'm just borrowing the setting and characters for a while.

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Corporal Ian Williams stood overlooking the River Thames shaking his head at the destruction that lay at his feet, all around him fires were still burning and bodies still littered the streets of this once proud city. He'd lost his team in the last round of fighting with, well he wasn't sure what they were certainly not human any more but still creepy was about all he could muster to describe them. His armour was falling apart around him and the bullet lodged in his shoulder was causing a mild ache but the med gel was helping with that for the time being, his supply was low and for once he was rationing it until he could get somewhere relatively safe and pull it out. Breathing heavily he looked for a marker, something familiar that would let him figure out whereabouts he was in London; sure the Thames was a big indicator but not really helpful on a geographical level. His eyes settled on a sign post, long since worn away with age but still readable, 'Westminster Bridge Road' well that made things a little easier, now just to figure out which side of the River he was on; a scream pierced through the silence and his thoughts were momentarily jolted away from his own predicament as he turned in the direction of the scream. A woman was running trying to frantically get away from whatever was chasing her, a low groan soon shattered the same silence as a Scion was limbering slowly behind her. Corporal Williams was beginning to wish he had paid close attention to the reports from the Terminus and from Shepard's team then he might have had a hope in hell's chance of beating the creature before it got to the woman. All his training seemed to dissipate before him as he was faced with a situation he wasn't accustomed to, he took a deep breath and took off at a run toward the woman if he could get to her before the Scion did then maybe between the pair of them they could find shelter or at the very least take the creature down.

Working her way back south along Horse Guards Road, Amelia turned into Great George Street and continued to head east until she reached Westminster Bridge. She was surprised that the bridge was still in one piece at least from her vantage point on the ground invading forces hadn't yet taken it out. Amelia glanced back at the city she had come to know and love and knew that crossing the Bridge was her only hope to escape the horde of creatures she had been facing off against earlier. With her rifle safely in her hands she took off at a run across the bridge unaware that even more creatures lay ahead. Amelia paused half way and looked over her Omni-tool, it had been a while since the software had been updated so for all intents and purposes it was out of date but it was still good for hacking communications at any rate, getting it to connect to anything however was always more trouble than it was worth but Amelia decided to try and get a message out to anyone that might be listening in to the frequencies. She tapped a few buttons and managed to gain access using her own codes to the Alliance communications array, the signal was weak but good enough to record and send a message. Amelia took a deep breath and began,

"_This is Lt. Commander Amelia Grey of the Alliance Military to anyone that might receive this message. The current situation in London is rather dire, I have encountered many hostile forces and have appeased them but my ammunition is running low and the enemy outnumbers me greatly. I've met a few other Alliance Personnel but they seem intent on waiting for their end in a dignified manner, I have yet to give up my hope. Current location is Westminster Bridge heading East toward St Thomas Hospital, aside from military personnel I've not encountered any civilians. I send this message in the hopes that aide may be coming, if not then I'm just letting the Galaxy know that someone is still fighting down here. I don't know what these squid like machines are, there message echoes throughout the dying city 'salvation through our destruction' well sorry I don't need salvation right now, I just need more bullets. To anyone who hears this, keep the faith we're not going down without a fight. Lt Commander Amelia Grey, out"  
_

Amelia signed off and cut her connection with the array knowing that the likelihood of the message being received by anyone was slim but at least she had tried. She moved out from her position and continued along the bridge weaving in and out of the debris that littered it, there was still no sign of life and that was a little concerning sure seeing soldiers was life and seeing the enemy too but she hadn't spotted any civilians and that was worrisome. As she reached the end of the bridge she continued east passing the turning for Belvedere Road and the turn off for Westminster Bridge Road, Amelia crossed at the junction before turning into Lambeth Palace Road, to be met with a scream and a low groan. Her eyes scanned the horizon, a woman was running from a lumbering Scion that was groaning as it unleashed a shockwave toward her, if she hadn't ducked behind a piece of concrete Amelia was certain the shockwave would have killed her at least she thought it was a shockwave having only ever seen the move on extranet videos of Biotics training. Amelia pulled her rifle to bare and looked through the battered scope before firing off a round at the Scion, it was enough to gain its attention as she quickly fired another using her scope to aim for its head. The creature groaned and stumbled before exploding into a blue gooey mess, splattering everything within a few meters. Sighing Amelia re-holstered her rifle and began a slow jog toward the woman, not seeing the Corporal running towards the same woman from the opposite direction.

"Damn" Williams thought as the Scion got closer to the woman, "I'm not going to make it" he added as an afterthought as he kept running toward the woman only to hear two shots ring out from the road ahead, he watched as the Scion exploded into a blue gooey mess but continued onwards to the woman. As he arrived at her cowering form he noticed another figure jogging toward her in Alliance Military blue, he stopped and waited for her to arrive saluting as she came to a halt, "Corporal Ian Williams, Ma'am" she looked him up and down and returned his salute, "Lt. Commander Amelia Grey, it's a pleasure." she added with a soft smile, "Who's the young woman?" she asked turning her attention to the still shaking woman, "I'm not sure, Miss can you tell us your name? Your not in any danger at this moment in time." Williams added trying to reassure her, "Its Dr, Doctor Rebecca Reeves and I won't believe I'm out of danger until I'm off this planet. Where the hell is the Alliance?" the Doctors voice was laced with a hint of annoyance and venom at the fact the Alliance hadn't come to the rescue both Corporal Williams and Lt. Commander Grey just stood there for a moment, before finally the Lt broke the silence, "I have no idea where the Alliance is Doctor, at the moment you owe me and the Corporal here for saving your life. To my knowledge a distress call is being broadcast on all frequencies and I uploaded a message to the Alliance Communications array a few moments ago, until the Alliance gets here however we'll do our very best to keep you safe." she added although not truly believing her own words Amelia had to give some sort of reply to the traumatised Doctor.

"You military types have no idea what its like to watch innocent people being dragged away by those things, listening to them screaming. Where the hell where you when everyone was being taken?" the Doctors voice still held annoyance at the two soldiers despite the fact they had saved her from the same fate she spoke of, "With all due respect Doctor, we've been fighting these creatures for a few days now; trying our best to save any civilians we see." replied Corporal Williams who received a curt nod from Lt. Commander Grey. The Doctor sighed and looked at them both for the first time since she'd started berating them for the Alliance failures, "Sorry, its just been a nightmare." she looked down at her blackened and ripped clothing before pushing herself up, "Lets go somewhere else before another one of those things appears." she added pushing past the two Alliance soldiers and continuing to walk along Lambeth Palace Road toward St Thomas Hospital, "Wait for us" called Lt. Commader Grey, "I think sheltering in the hospital would be a good idea for right now", Corporal Williams nodded as did the Doctor, "We need to regroup and talk strategy" she added hoping that the hospital for the time being would provide safe shelter for the three of them.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:- I don't own Mass Effect or any of the characters I'm just borrowing them for a while.

A/N:- Sorry it took so long to update this but I've been working on this chapter for a couple of days. I've got a few other ideas I'm toying with in regard to this fic but in the meantime I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

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The Normandy SR2 was still docked at Citadel but the human crew were getting restless, the Council had made no headway in deciding whether or not to lend its aide to the Alliance against the Reaper threat and it was beginning to frustrate the former Cerberus' operatives. There growing impatience was being felt on every deck even as far as Commander Alissa Shepard herself and it was disconcerting to say the least, an unhappy crew might get sloppy in the event they were called into action but in truth she could understand their frustrations; the Council's dithering meant more human lives were being lost by the hour and when the extranet feeds had failed all those daring to believe in a miracle on the Citadel had finally lost hope. The Alliance Communications networks had also ceased broadcasting, the Reapers it appeared had hacked them upon entering the system so no new information was getting out of the local cluster. Anyone that had been able to send a message or video file had soon stopped broadcasting within days of the invasion. Shepard however had not yet given up, she'd seen the footage of Alliance soldiers fighting back against the Reapers and she refused to believe that all of them had succumbed to the enemy but even her own resolve was fading. At Shepard's request EDI had been monitoring all Alliance Channels including those that fed back to the local cluster, if a skilled communications expert or a hacker had accessed the Alliance Communications Array then maybe a message would get through any Reaper blockade.

"Commander, I have detected a broadcast from the local cluster" EDI's blue orb flickered to life in Shepard's quarters, "It appears to have been broadcast from Earth." she continued, time seemed to slow for Shepard in that moment; someone had broken through the communication blackout and sent a message,

"EDI, how was the message uploaded?" Alissa asked wanting to verify its origin before allowing EDI to play it back, "It was uploaded via the Alliance Communications Array, using current security codes for personnel serving on Earth" EDI intoned, "My sources indicate that the message is genuine Shepard" she added hoping to put the Commander at ease, "Play it back, EDI"

"_This is Lt. Commander Amelia Grey of the Alliance Military to anyone that might receive this message. The current situation in London is rather dire, I have encountered many hostile forces and have appeased them but my ammunition is running low and the enemy outnumbers me greatly. I've met a few other Alliance Personnel but they seem intent on waiting for their end in a dignified manner, I have yet to give up my hope. Current location is Westminster Bridge heading East toward St Thomas Hospital, aside from military personnel I've not encountered any civilians. I send this message in the hopes that aide may be coming, if not then I'm just letting the Galaxy know that someone is still fighting down here. I don't know what these squid like machines are, there message echoes throughout the dying city 'salvation through our destruction' well sorry I don't need salvation right now, I just need more bullets. To anyone who hears this, keep the faith we're not going down without a fight. Lt Commander Amelia Grey, out"_

A soft yet determined voice filtered through Commander Alissa Shepard's cabin as the message from Lieutenant Commander Grey played back over her personnel terminal, the sounds from a City under siege could be heard in the background as the Lieutenant recorded; echoes of screaming also filtered through and for a moment Alissa Shepard's head dropped in despair at what those on Earth must be encountering. There had been no warning about the Reaper invasion the Alliance and Council had swept all the incidents under the carpet and now when humanity needed a saviour there wasn't one to be found. She smiled a little when the Lieutenant asked for more bullets rather than salvation, it seemed that despite the situation the Lieutenant still had a sense of humour and it warmed her heart to know that someone was still fighting down there and not willing to give up but still the plea for help didn't go unnoticed. The ones that hadn't given up were running out of ammunition and possibly medical supplies as well, it wouldn't be too long before they hand nothing left to fight with but there bare hands and ultimately that would mean their end. Alissa Shepard didn't want to think about that, she would be damned if she was going to let those that were fighting down their down. She owed it to all those that believed in her to go to the local cluster and get as many survivors out as possible but the Reapers outnumbered the Normandy and there were no reinforcements to call upon, it would be worst than a suicide mission but then again she and her crew had beaten the odds before but it would be a fool's errand to go to the local cluster alone. When the message ended she sighed deeply, "EDI pass the message on to the Alliance Brass and the Council, lets see if they do anything now." she added with a hint of determination and renewed belief, just who was this Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey and how had she been able to get a message out of the local cluster. Sitting down at her terminal Shepard was determined to find out.

Searching through the extranet proved pointless, the Lieutenant had done nothing remotely newsworthy according to Shepard's findings and after accessing the Alliance database all Shepard could find was the bare essentials. Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey was a trained Alliance Marine and had been stationed on Earth since graduating the Academy aside from that her records were classified which puzzled Shepard, for a soldier that had done very little to have a overtly classified file was very interesting indeed. Sighing Alissa closed down the terminal and left her quarters, maybe Doctor Chakwas or her mother Captain Hannah Shepard could shed some light on the mysterious Lieutenant.

The trek to St Thomas Hospital wasn't especially long and once Lt. Commander Grey and Corporal Williams had hacked entrance door allowing them access the three weary comrades breathed a huge sigh of relief. Doctor Reeves noticed that Corporal Williams was injured and ushered him into the nearest side room so she could deal with the bullet wound, which left Lt. Commander Grey to her own devices. Amelia called up the data on her Omni-tool and checked how far her message had gotten, according to the Alliance network it had made it out of the local cluster something of a bonus then compared to other messages that had been broadcast, perhaps there just wasn't any communication traffic at the time of upload. Flicking through the files on her Omni-tool she pulled up 20th Century Earth music and started humming along to Iridescent by Linkin Park something about that song gave her the belief to keep fighting against the creatures that were plaguing the city, a single play through was enough as she continued to sift through her Omni-tool files; it was outdated and needed patching but the commands at her disposal were enough for the time being. Sighing she looked around the room that was currently serving as home glad that the walls were thick and still intact at least the Reapers hadn't taken out this building yet.

Dr Chakwas had seen many a Marine pass through her medical bay both on Alliance ships and on shore based establishments it was however a surprise to find Commander Alissa Shepard in the Normandy's medical bay when there was nothing wrong with her, "So Commander, for what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked with a smile as Shepard sat down in the chair opposite her, "I'm looking for information on an Alliance Marine but their service record is heavily classified, so my query Doctor is have you ever treated a Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey?" Shepard let the name hang in the air for a moment as she waited for Dr Chakwas to respond, something about this Marine had piqued her interest and until that was resolved she couldn't let it rest, "I'm afraid I can't help you Commander, I've seen many a soldier pass through here and other medical facilities but no one of that name, what would you interest be in her?" the Doctor looked straight at Shepard her clinical gaze never faltering, "EDI picked up a message from the local cluster from Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, it's the only Site Rep we've received from Earth in one solar week. Somehow she got a message out and from EDI's analysis the Lieutenant used current security codes for Alliance soldiers on Earth, to hear a Site Rep from a Marine in the midst of an invasion and to listen to the determination in her voice intrigued me. How does a Soldier who has been abandoned by the Alliance and the Council keep fighting for a victory they may never see. I wanted to know more about what drives her but found nothing in the official records so I thought asking you and my Mother would be the next best thing." she sighed her frustration getting the better of her for a moment, "I'm sorry I can't help you Commander, maybe Captain Shepard can be of better assistance." Dr Chakwas smiled as Shepard rose from her seat, "Thank you for your time Doctor." she added before walking out of the medical lab.

Calling her mother had been the last option available to Alissa Shepard, whilst they had resolved their differences over her dying and subsequent resurrection at the hands of Cerberus they hadn't actually just sat down and talked like mother and daughter instead every conversation they'd had of late was about the current Reaper invasion of Earth and the Alliance's stance on it; sighing heavily as she entered the briefing room, "EDI open an FTL channel to the SSV Orizaba and Captain Hannah Shepard" as EDI opened the channel Alissa Shepard stretched and stood with her hands behind her back, old habits die hard it seemed and she stood to attention when her mother's voice came over the Normandy's FTL channel, "Captain Hannah Shepard..oh Alissa I'm on duty so I can't be taking personal calls" Alissa shook her head before speaking, "I'm on duty too and this isn't a personal call I'm after information about an Alliance marine and I'm hoping you can help. The Normandy picked up a communication from the local cluster, Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey of the Alliance Navy managed to get a site rep from London onto the Alliance Communication Array's. I've verified the security codes and they are current issue, what I want to know is who this Lieutenant is; her file is heavily classified." she asked laying down her request with crisp authority, a brief pause followed before Captain Shepard answered, "Lieutenant Commander Grey is something of an enigma within the Alliance and I'm not surprised that she of all people got a message out despite the current situation. Not much is known about her Alissa only that she's an exceptional soldier and dedicated to the cause, I'm sorry I can't be of any more help but that is truly all I know and that's only from hearsay." she added with a soft chuckle, "I'm really sorry Alissa but I have to get back to work, SSV Orizaba out." the FTL channel went silent and Alissa Shepard was left with more questions than answers and a mother who was growing more distant by the day, when this is over she thought I'll make amends somehow, "That will be all EDI." she added turning away from the terminal and back towards the CIC, "Logging you out, Shepard" came EDI's reply as the door to the briefing room swished shut.

Standing at the Galaxy Map, Commander Alissa Shepard briefly glanced at the local cluster before turning away and walking down to the elevator; there was nothing she could do for the Lieutenant at this moment in time but her thoughts were with her all the same, _'Keep fighting soldier, I'll find a way to get there' _


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I'd like to give a thank you to Janizary and Daryst for the reviews for the last chapter and a thank you to those that have added Story Alerts for this. Sorry it took a while for this chapter and that its a little on the short side. Don't worry I have no plans to abandon this story, its just taking a while to get what I want down. Hopefully I'll have Chapter Six up sooner rather than later. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Once again I don't own anything. Bioware and EA do, I'm just borrowing the characters for a while.

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Doctor Reeves looked around the room she had walked the Corporal into and proceeded to retrieve the medical equipment from the storage locker, "You might as well get comfortable on the bed over there and remove the top half of your armour, I'm going to need access to your shoulder" her voice had softened slightly and Williams just did as she asked wincing as he stripped off his armour until his torso was bare. It had to be said that there was one place a soldier didn't want to be and that was in a medical bay or a hospital and Williams felt no different as he sat waiting for the Doctor, she moved from the storage locker and place the surgical instruments on the small table next to the bed before pulling latex gloves; slightly old fashioned but the hospital was without power so everything had to be done the old way. Slowly she felt around the entrance wound, the skin was tender and red from where the bullet had entered and there was no exit wound which meant the bullet was still lodged in the Corporal's shoulder, picking up the surgical tweezers she used them to inspect the wound and pull out the lodged bullet placing it on the table, "Do you have any med gel?" she asked as the Corporal nodded in response pointing towards his armour, the Doctor moved quickly and found the last vial of med gel in the Corporal's breast plate; removing it she injected the gel directly into the wound causing the Corporal to wince as the med gel took effect. The vial dropped to the floor and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief as the wound started to close, "Looks like you'll be as good as new in a few hours, I advise rest Corporal in the meantime." she added with a soft smile, "I'm going to go check on our other friend and leave you to get dressed." turning she walked out of the room leaving the Corporal to his own devices. Ian could feel the med gel working its was through his shoulder and the slight euphoria that came with it for a moment he allowed himself to forget about the horrors just outside the door and just remember the days before the invasion started when soldiers like him didn't have a care in the world and patrol was just a routine, oh how he wished for those days again and not the nightmare he currently found himself in. Just when was the Alliance going to send someone to evacuate the survivors or had they already given us up for dead, sighing heavily as his thoughts drifted back to the present he slowly dressed in his armour before following the Doctor out.

'The Corporal is going to be fine Lieutenant, I've done the best I can with the supplies available. Do you require any medical attention?" Rebecca asked as she entered the room Lieutenant Grey was holed up in, "I don't requite any medical attention, my armour and Omni tool may be out dated but they hold up well enough against the current enemy. I'm glad to see that your attitude has softened slightly, I don't take too kindly to being yelled at for something beyond my jurisdiction. I'm a soldier not Alliance Brass and if there not coming its not my fault but I hope to hell they are coming because I don't want to die down here." she added bitterness in her voice at the fact the Alliance hadn't responded to her communication, annoyance at the Doctor for assuming that because of her rank she could do anything beyond what she was already and finally a hint of fatigue at having been fighting for so long without respite.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, you were the first soldiers I had met and I assumed you'd know when the Alliance was coming. I've been running from those things for days and I'm just sorry." the Doctor sank to her knees as the tears began to softly fall as the events finally caught up with her, "Well good job we found you when we did, I promise you this Doctor Reeves; I'll do all within my power to keep you safe. I can't offer you a way out at this moment in time but I can tell you that I'll do my up most to protect you and the Corporal from further harm." the words spoken were soft yet powerful and full of a grim determination for which the Doctor and Corporal Williams were grateful for, "Thank you, Lieutenant" came the Doctors response and a brief nod from the Corporal.

"I'm going to check the perimeter, both of you stay here and out of sight." Amelia stood and headed for the entrance way, "Be sure to lock this door when I leave, Corporal" she added as she exited through it. Corporal Williams did just that before shaking his head and looking over at the Doctor, "Something tells me she's giving up a little, can't say I blame her despite that declaration moments ago." he looked back at the door, "She's a different breed of soldier, I'll give you that but she's human all the same; I just hope that help arrives before she exhausts herself protecting us." he added sitting down next to the Doctor, "Thanks for the patch up job by the way Doc." Williams smiled as he waited for Lieutenant Commander Grey to return.

'_A moment's peace is all I ask for and it takes checking the perimeter to get it, a foolish errand perhaps and one that may get me killed but by the Gods those two are suffocating me. I'm a soldier not a saviour, I can't guarantee them anything and yet I'm making promises I probably won't be able to keep. Why has this mission fallen to me? I'm nothing extraordinary, I'm just a grunt; a marine that is stuck on Earth because of some damned incident with an Admiral that caused my career to snowball before it even started. Wish I'd never gone to Citadel in the first place, all for a memorial service in which the Brass decided to besmirch the Commander's good name so I punched one of the Admiral's and caused a slight ruckus was that really enough to justify being grounded on this rock. The stars look bright this evening, I can't believe that I've lost all track of the time; the days of the week hell I can't even remember which month it is. All I know for certain is that this attack started over two weeks ago and in that two weeks we've lost more men, women and children than any other war before this. I wish I could stop this and find a way out but something tells me there is no way out and I'm just prolonging the inevitable, I'm going to die down here and that Corporal and Doctor are going to die down here with me. If there is a God then I hope your listening, because I don't want to die just yet I've got too much to live for so this time grant me my simple prayer and save us.'_

Shaking her head Amelia pushed the thoughts aside for the moment, the perimeter was safe and there weren't any immediate signs of hostiles in the area; could it be that the enemy had already moved on from this place and across the bridge to the main area of the City? It was perhaps irresponsible to think so but it was something that crossed her mind, for now though she planned to bunker down with the Corporal and the Doctor for the night; tomorrow was another day after all and a chance to start afresh. Knocking on the door using an old military entrance code, she waited for Corporal Williams to let her back in.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Bioware owns all, I'm just borrowing settings and characters for a while.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long delay on this chapter, work, life and new ME2 DLC got in the way so this has been delayed longer than it should have been. I do hope you enjoy the chapter, reviews/feedback etc appreciated.

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The knocking at the door startled the Doctor but the Corporal just slowly made his was to the door, he responded in kind to Lt. Grey's knocking by doing the same until he received an answer from the opposite side, even in this day and age old signals proved the best method of communicating in a hostile situation as he finally relented and unlocked the door. Lt. Grey smirked at him a little as she re-entered, "Perimeter is clear, no hostile activity detected so for the moment we're safe." she glanced over at the Doctor and smiled a little, "Why don't you two get some rest, I'll take watch tonight." she added moving to the left of the door and positioning her rifle on her shoulder until it was trained on the door.

The Doctor rose from her spot and nodded, "I'll be in the next room, a surgical bed is better than the floor." and without a second though she disappeared out of the room much to the amusement of Lt. Grey who then turned her attention to the Corporal, "Do I have to order you to bunk down for the night, Corporal?" she asked as he slowly shook his head and headed to another side room. Finally it was just her and whatever might be lurking outside, content and happy to be lost in her own concentration Amelia Grey focussed on the door.

On the opposite side of Westminster Bridge a lone figure stood staring out across the burning City, before dropping down into a crouch behind a large concrete block. The figure had not been spotted by the enemy but it had been a close call. Taking a deep breath the figure pulled a grubby photograph from a chest pocket and under a slow burning match glance over the image before turning it over onto its back to read the description, _'Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey' _as the match burned down to the fingers a sharp cuss followed as the figure quickly placed the photograph back. The night air sent a small shiver across the figure as they slowly moved out from their hiding place before taking off across Westminster Bridge in same direction Lt. Commander Grey had done so earlier.

The night slowly drifted into day and as the cracks of sunlight began to appear through windows, Amelia Grey stretched out her tired body and scanned the room to be met with the same sight as before, no intruders just thick concrete. Rising to her feet she shouldered her rifle and headed into the side rooms to check up on Doctor Reeves and Corporal Williams both of whom were still away in dreamland much to Amelia's amusement. Turning she walked back to the room she'd spent the night in and sighed softly, there had been no response to her message and no sign of any help from the Alliance or any other council race; the odds of surviving this invasion were growing bleaker by the day.

The figure had made it over the Bridge but was now faced with a dilemma, without knowing Lt. Commander Grey's exact movements tracking her from this point onwards was going to be a little difficult then again they hadn't counted on anyone tracking the Lt. at all. As the sun finally made its appearance above the horizon the figure removed the balaclava that had helped hide it from the enemy, long dark hair flowed freely now it was released of its confines and deep green eyes squinted at the harshness of the day. The Admiral had said following the Lt. was a fool's errand but that hadn't stopped her from doing so, but it came at a price. For refusing his direct orders she'd been court martial by those that remained so was now a former Lieutenant of the Alliance but her rank didn't matter, getting off this rock did and if that meant risking everything to get to Lt. Commander Amelia Grey then Caitlin Grant was willing to do just that. She scanned the burning London skyline and settled on the familiar building of St Thomas Hospital, compared to everything else in this vicinity it looked to be intact. Caitlin set off at swift pace wanting to get there before the enemy got to her.

Amelia sat tapping various algorithms into her Omni-tool, it was a tactic she used to help keep her mind focused when she hadn't slept and still needed to be alert. The puzzles she created meant nothing nor did they have an outcome it was just something to pass the time until either the Doctor or the Corporal awoke, however boredom soon set in causing her to abandon the task completely and set off in search of provisions within the hospital; surely somewhere there was food or maybe even a few MRE's it just had to be enough of something to get them through the next few days whilst she thought of a plan to get them out of the city. Cautiously and slowly she ventured down the corridor that proceeded north from the room she had secured the night before, the place as she had noticed earlier was deserted but that didn't mean she'd allow her guard to drop. Creatures had a habit of appearing from no-where and in a building this big the possibility of something appearing out of thin air was plausible so with her military issue pistol in hand she continued onward. A low groaning made Amelia stop in her tracks, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as she surveyed the corridor she was in could those things she witnessed on the streets of London be inside the hospital? It didn't really bare thinking about but was a possibility that she hadn't considered in her need to get away from the Doctor and Corporal when she checked the perimeter, all that remained now was to find out the truth. Swallowing hard she clocked her pistol and proceeded forward, surveying every inch of the corridor as she did so, today she supposed would be a good day to die.

Caitlin arrived at St Thomas Hospital to find the entrance door locked, sighing she took off around the building to find another way in; a shattered window or a broken door would suffice. Luck it would seem was on Caitlin's side this morning as she found a shattered window on the east side of the building, hoisting herself up she crawled through only to snag her lower left leg on a piece of broken glass; cursing as she fell into the corridor she couldn't help but groan as the pain engulfed her.

Amelia's boots crunched on something causing her to look down at the broken glass that littered the corridor, aside from the initial groan she hadn't heard anything else but that didn't mean anything in wartime. Continuing to move down the corridor her eyes fell on a figure dressed in black, softly cursing as the blood flowed onto the harsh white floor; levelling her pistol at the figure Amelia took a deep breath, "Friend of Foe?" she asked gripping the pistol tighter. Caitlin looked up, her deep green eyes slowly focussing on the person in front of her and the pistol that was levelled at her too, another groan as the pain shot through her body once again, "Friend, former Lieutenant Caitlin Grant, Alliance" she managed before falling into unconsciousness. Holstering her pistol, Amelia shook her head and gently knelt down beside the girl snaking one arm behind her back and the other under her knees lifting her up and heading back down the corridor to the Doctor and more questions compared to answers.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Once again Bioware own all.

Author's Note: Back again with another chapter. Hopefully moving things on a little. Thanks again for the reviews and the Story Alerts.

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The walk back took longer than Amelia had hoped, the girl was unfortunately weighing her down as well as the weaponry holstered to her back. It wouldn't bode well if a soldier didn't have all available weaponry at her disposal so the trek was becoming quite tiresome for the already fatigued Lieutenant. As she neared the front room she called out for the Doctor not caring if she woke her nor if she woke the Corporal at the same time, she had far bigger problems to deal with. 

Caitlin still hadn't regained consciousness as Amelia laid her gently down onto the bed, "Who is she?" asked both the Doctor and the Corporal simultaneously, "A former Alliance Lieutenant is all I got before she passed out, is that leg injury serious or did she just succumb to the pain? I don't know if I can carry her a great distance if we need to vacate this spot" Amelia added, her brow creasing with worry at the girl who had fallen in to her lap metaphorically speaking. Was this yet another sign? Was the universe trying to get Amelia to wise up to the situation at hand and make her realise that her life wasn't the only thing at stake. If it was it sure as hell wasn't the best way to do so. Shaking her head she turned away and walked out of the room, "Let me know if she wakes up and a prognosis when you've got one Doc, I need to think." she added before slipping out of sight. Doctor Reeves spared a glance at Corporal Williams who merely shrugged his shoulders, "Do you need any help?" he asked wanting to at least prove useful to someone as the Lieutenant Commander didn't seem to want his assistance in the least. 

Her fist connected with the nearest wall as her frustration finally got the better of her, no word from the Alliance and now another soldier to look after, if the situation wasn't already dire it would be even more so now. Amelia let out a shaky breath as she fought to get her emotions back into check, it was unprofessional and did nothing to improve her current thought process. Once again fellow soldiers and a civilian were relying on her to get them out of this situation or at least that's how it felt. The last time she was in such a position, things didn't turn out so well hence the reason she was running across London on her own; the rest of her company were either dead or doing the exact same as her. She breathed deeply once again, listening as her erratic heartbeat began to slow as she allowed herself a brief moment to break. The pain was minimal but began to creep along the joints in her hand all the same, a small price to pay if it meant a moment of clarity. Turning she lent against the wall and slide down until she came to rest on the ground, burying her head in her hands as she allowed the gravity of the situation to finally wash over; for just a moment it was Amelia Grey sitting in that room and not the toughened Lieutenant Commander. 

Doctor Reeves quickly assessed the injury to their newest ally and found it not to be life threatening which she knew would please the Lieutenant Commander, applying an ample amount of Medi-gel the wound soon started to heal over. It would leave a slight scar but nothing too noticeable, she pulled the blanket over the young women's frame and ushered the Corporal out of them room; the sight that greeted them caused them both to look at each other with worry. 

If there was ever an image of a broken soldier then Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey would be the prime example. Exhausted and shaking, the toll of whatever she had endured in her journey to get here was visible to both the Doctor and the Corporal but they were to weary to approach her; believing that it was best for them to return their attention to the girl the Lieutenant had brought back shortly before whilst it pained them to see her in such a distressed state they reasoned that only she could pull herself out of it. 

It was fair to say the Alliance Brass weren't expecting any messages from the local cluster so when the Normandy SR-2 transmitted such a message they called an emergency session. They debated for hours on the significance of the message and the actions of the soldier that had sent it, some raised questions on Lieutenant Commander Grey's mental state; others brought up the incident on the Citadel. Only a few of them made the suggestion to send a ship to the cluster to retrieve them, as the meeting wore on the decision became more topical before they finally decided to send the most advanced ship they had in the fleet, the Normandy SR-2 and Commander Shepard after all they needed the good press after the incident with the Batarians. 

The call came direct from Admiral Hackett and Shepard couldn't help but smirk a little, so the Brass had finally decided to aide those left behind on Earth; all she had to do now was motivate her crew and get a message to Lieutenant Commander Grey. 

The decks of the Normandy were buzzing as news filtered through about their upcoming mission, they finally had a chance to do something rather just idling in Citadel space but as with everything they knew the risks the mission against the Collector's was proof enough of that. Commander Alissa Shepard was pacing in her cabin as she tried to think of a way to send a message to the Lieutenant Commander but so far she'd come up blank, the communication arrays into the local cluster were being jammed by the Reapers so it had been a small miracle that Lieutenant Commander Grey's message had made it through at all unless that had been the Reapers intent; they were intelligent creatures could all of this be an elaborate trap to lure her into the cluster? The thought didn't bare thinking about but it had crossed Alissa's mind, if they went through with this mission it would be the Normandy against hundreds of Reapers without back-up; all it would take is one wrong decision and it would be game over. So despite the crews enthusiasm, Alissa didn't share it; this mission could prove to be more suicidal than the actual trip through the Omega Four relay but a fellow Alliance soldier needed help and despite her fears she'd so all within her power to get them to safety. 

Amelia took a deep breath and pushed herself up from the floor, her moment of weakness forgotten as she walked with a determination to the other room where Doctor Reeves, Corporal Williams had remained. As she entered Amelia nodded to the Corporal and looked at the Doctor, "How is she doing?" she asked her voice soft and no longer hardened as it had been earlier, "Nothing life threatening, she'll probably wake up in an hour or so." replied Rebecca, that earned her a smile from the Lieutenant the first one she'd seen the young woman give to anyone since meeting up with her and the Corporal. Amelia looked at the Doctor and then the Corporal for a good minute before sighing slightly, "Look, I'm sorry for being harsh on the pair of you but I need you both to understand the gravity of the situation we're in. I'm not perfect which I'm sure you both have just witnessed, but I told myself that no matter what I'd get the pair of you off this rock and to safety; our latest addition hasn't changed that. I've not received a reply to my message and I'm beginning to think that the enemy is using it to lure someone here, who I don't know but I'm worried. If we can get to an Alliance base and to a shuttle then maybe we stand a chance at getting out of here but its a big 'if'." she paused waiting for everything she'd said to sink in, Rebecca's facial features were doing most of the talking until she hung her head and shook it, Ian remained stoic the entire time. 

"All I can do is my best, I'm not the greatest Alliance Marine to ever wear the uniform in fact most of my superiors believe I'm a a disgrace to the uniform but grounding me on Earth was punishment enough for one mistake so I don't intend to make another one. I will bare the burden of losing my unit and the burden of losing anyone of you as we make this journey, its my guilt and burden to bare but I will sacrifice my life for each and everyone of you to get out of this city and off this rock, I just need you to help me get there, please." her voice cracked a little as she finished her speech it hadn't been intentional but hopefully it would have the desired effect but it wasn't the Doctor or Corporal who spoke first, 

"I'd follow you to the end of the world if I had to, your the reason I got this far and despite what you think Lieutenant Commander Grey, you're a bloody hero to some of us. I'll help even if it means my life is forfeit." Caitlin rose slowly until she was sitting on the bed Amelia had laid her down on earlier, "Former Lieutenant Caitlin Grant, at your service Ma'am." she added with a smirk. Amelia looked at her for a moment, "Glad to see your awake LT, and thanks." she returned the smile and looked at her other two comrades, Dr. Reeves it seemed was still debating her decision whilst the Corporal looked ready to give an answer, "I'm with you Lieutenant Commander, until the end." he saluted before his face broke into a wide grin as he placed his hand on Amelia's shoulder in reassurance, finally Dr. Reeves spoke, "You think too little of your abilities Lieutenant Commander Grey, you've gotten us this far already why doubt that you aren't going to get us the rest of the way? I'll follow you because I trust your judgement and I believe you won't let us down." she looked up and smiled at Amelia before turning her attention to Caitlin. 

"Thanks, all of you. It means a lot to have your support. I'm just going to go check for supplies as I didn't get around to it earlier, Corporal want to lend me a hand?" she added, he nodded and headed out of the room. Amelia turned to Caitlin and presented her with her military issued pistol, "Keep the Doctor safe and shoot anything that isn't human." and with that she turned and followed after the Corporal. Caitlin looked down at the pistol for a moment, remembering the feel of it in her hands and nodded more to herself than anyone. Lieutenant Commander Grey trusted her to keep the Doctor safe and to Caitlin that meant everything.


	8. Chapter 8  Closure

**Author's Note - Unfortunately inspiration and writer's block hindered my progress on this story so much so that this is the final chapter. I apologise in advance if its choppy in places. I've tried my best to bring closure to this story and to give it some justice. Thanks to everyone that's read this and to those that reviewed, it meant a lot. Not sure if I'll write any more Mass Effect fan fiction any time soon but there's always the possibility. **

**So once again, thank you.**

**Disclaimer: Bioware owns all except Lt. Amelia Grey.**

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They say that when death is imminent your life flashes before your eyes in mere seconds, allowing perhaps a moment of clarity before succumbing to the inevitable and that your existence isn't as immortal as you once led yourself to believe. But what if that clarity makes you think hard on some of the choices that you've made and the choices that you have yet to make, what if by merely existing you make a difference to the world.

Yet my world is slowly crashing down around me, the enemy draws ever closer and I've not got a hope in hell of beating them back. I'm out gunned and out numbered, not even with two Alliance officers and a civilian Doctor will I make it out of this alive but if I can get them off this godforsaken Rock and into relative safety of the vast galaxy then I've done my job and upheld my promise to the Gods I chose to worship. All I need is an escape route, a shuttle that can make it to a Mass Relay and remain undetected; and hopefully safely into the clutches of Commander Shepard.

I'm not going to make it, I've resigned myself to this fact but I'll die fighting with the last of my self belief and safe in the knowledge that I've done all within my power to put a dent into the enemy lines. Holding the line isn't as easy as those movies make it out to be, but hold the line I must. I have one chance to get this right, to get them safely away and to distract those squid like machines; sure knocking them out wasn't my best idea but it had to be done. Someone had to make a decision and as the most senior officer here I made it, I'm aware that I'm going to be hated for this and that my name will be stripped from all official records but I don't have a choice. Breaking into the Alliance base was hard enough with my out-dated Omni-tool and uploading the correct security codes to launch a shuttle took more effort than I would have liked but they are safely away from this place climbing high into the night sky and to freedom. I hailed the Alliance on the channel I used earlier and told them a shuttle was leaving Earth and heading for the Relay, I hope to the heavens that there's a ship in the local cluster to pull them in and jump away; if I was a betting girl then I'd say the Normandy and Shepard is waiting for them. Well I can hope at any rate.

I flooded the networks with my location, the enemy is closing in on my position and I'm resigned to that. What I don't expect is a hail from the local cluster, it seems my motley crew have been rescued and the sedatives I used have worn off and they are hailing me to get my attention, like I don't have enough on my plate right now.

'_This is Commander Shepard of the Normandy SR2 to Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, do you copy?"_

A voice I never expected to hear pulls at my resolve for just a second before I regain my composure and respond,

_"This is Lieutenant Commander Grey, Shepard you don't have time to be talking to me. You need to get out of the local cluster." _

I should know better than to order a Commander around but all my hard work seems to be for nought if she's calling down to me, I didn't risk everything so that I could be reprimanded by the very person I've idolised for so long; I just want her to get the hell away from this place and to keep the Doc, Corporal and that former Lieutenant safe. I wait for a response despite my better judgement,

"_You don't get to order me Lieutenant, I out rank you. We picked up your message and the shuttle you sent into space but your not on it and I'd like to know why the hell not. Why are you sacrificing yourself for this?"_

If Amelia didn't know any better she heard a faint sadness in the Commander's voice at her actions but steeled herself before replying, 

_"Because their lives are more important than my own Commander, and I intend to hold the line for as long as possible but I had to make sure they were safe. Earth is my home Commander and I'll be damned if I'm going to let these machines take it without a fight, I don't belong out there with you and your crew I'm not a hero Commander; I'm just a Soldier that gets to chose when and where to die, so do me a favour Commander Shepard and get the hell out of the local cluster and live to fight for another day, I'm not worth the effort your expending here and I'm sure as hell not worth anything in regard to the Alliance.' she paused for a moment and took a deep breath not realising that Shepard was playing the entire conversation over the Comm on the Normandy, "Look, I need to know that what I do here isn't going to be in vain. I don't care if my name is stripped from all official records, I'm not ashamed to be one of the forgotten but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you sacrifice everything for me. The Brass don't like me, I embarrassed them when I was first invited to the Citadel to attend a memorial service for you. I punched out an Admiral that dared besmirch your name and as punishment I got grounded on Earth, I don't belong in the stars Commander but you do. So get the hell out of this cluster and go kick some ass because that's what I plan to do until I can't do any more. I've got ammunition and I've got med-gel, come look for me when the war is over and if I'm still breathing then you can reprimand me for disobeying orders. Lieutenant Commander Grey out." _and with that Amelia cut the comm line and sighed deeply before moving away from the console and further into the base, her last stand was coming and it was going to be one hell of a fight.

Commander Alissa Shepard stood still for a moment unable to comprehend what had just occurred, it was EDI that informed her that the communications line had be cut and that there was no way of hailing the Lieutenant again. She turned to face three weary looking survivors of the invasion and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she had been unable to convince their saviour to leave with them but part of her understood. It appeared that Lieutenant Commander Grey had made a decision at some point whilst keeping the three of them safe, to give her life to save them despite the odds having been and still stacked against her unfairly. Taking a deep breath she looked at them one final time before speaking, "I tried but your friend isn't coming, she's made her choice and I respect that. Joker, get us out of here now."

For months the battle waged on against the Reapers, the Alliance and their allies joining together to push back the growing threat until it was no more. The sacrifices had been many but overall the fight had been won. Commander Alissa Shepard had done the impossible and united the other alien races against the Reaper threat and now it was time to go back to Earth and search for survivors. Shepard had offered the Normandy SR2 as soon as Admiral Hackett had asked and the mighty vessel was due to land on Earth's surface within a matter of hours. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she felt the familiar hands of Liara around her stomach, "It will be alright Alissa, if she's alive then you'll find her." as Shepard sunk back into the familiar embrace she couldn't help but chuckle, "If she's as stubborn as both Grant and Williams then she'll still be kicking somewhere down there, those two even gave Jack a run for her money with how reckless they were. I'm glad they survived the battle and got the commendations and re-instatements they deserved. Still I'm worried that we're going to find a corpse or something worse." Alissa sighed again as her hands came to rest of Liara's, "I guess we'll find out in a matter of hours, how about we get some sleep before then." she added smiling softly before gently guiding Liara to the elevator.

If I was honest with myself dying never really freaked me out like it did most people, I'd made my peace with whichever God decided to watch over me long ago and now as I was staring down the barrel of my military issued pistol I couldn't summoned the courage to pull the trigger and end it all. My body ached all over from the strain I had put myself through in trying to survive, I was covered in burns and lacerations that had been caused by the enemies weapons and I'd run out of med-gel over a month ago; I was alive but barely and it seemed only my idiotic determination was keeping me from keeling over. My Omni-tool was shattered various pieces of the bright orange contraption was embedded in my left arm, not that I could feel any pain from said arm as it had been broken some time ago. I truly wanted my life to end but something held me back from taking the final step, an insane belief that someone would be coming to rescue me. After I shipped off my companions and hung up on Commander Shepard, I'd bunkered down in the Alliance base and held my ground; wave upon wave of inhumane creatures and machines had come at me and somehow I'd kept them at bay but now I could feel myself slipping away as the injuries inflicted upon me finally took hold. I took another shaky breath as my pistol slipped from my shaking hand, hoping beyond hope that the end was near.

As the Normandy landed at what remained of the Alliance base in Greenwich, Shepard couldn't help but shake her head at all the destruction. The city had been laid to waste by the Reapers, if anyone had survived the onslaught then she pitied them; for the those nightmares would never leave. She looked to her left and caught the familiar sight of Liara dressed in her white body armour, her biotics shimmering slightly; to her right in standard issue Alliance body armour were Lieutenant Catlin Grant and Corporal Ian Williams both of whom had insisted on coming along with Shepard on this mission. They wanted to know if Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey had survived the invasion and Alissa Shepard wasn't going to deny them the closure they sought. They moved out slowly and methodically, checking every inch of the corridors they travelled through looking for survivors; they mainly found charred remains and bones. Despite the growing nausea they continued onwards until they came to what appeared to be a dead end, but the light shining through the cracks gave a different answer. Shepard ran her hand along the wall and felt the familiar markings of a door, it had been concealed well but not well enough. She allowed her Omni-tool to flicker into life and set about hacking the door code, it took a while but eventually the hinges began to creak and finally the door gave way.

At first glance the room looked like any other aside from the fact that small fires were still smouldering and huddled in the furthest corner was a body, I say a body because at this moment in time no one was certain if it was alive.

As the doors opened I felt my breath catch in my throat as I fumbled for the dropped pistol at my feet, only to lock eyes with the squad of three humans and one Asari; I soon gave up my feeble attempt to find my sidearm and just stared blankly at them for a moment. Shaking my head and remembering protocol I started to speak, the words slow and concise as I willed my dry throat to utter them, "Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey, Alliance Marine Corp." I managed before my throat closed up and I couldn't utter another syllable, it was strange to be in the presence of the Commander Shepard and I could feel my heart beat slower with every breath I took; this it seemed was going to be the end for me.

"Shepard, she needs urgent medical attention. Her heart rate is dropping rapidly, if we don't get her back to the Normandy I fear she won't survive" Liara's voice cut through the silence that had wrapped around the room but as Shepard moved toward me I shook my head, I was going to be stubborn right till the end.

"I'm tired Shepard and just want to sleep. Will you do me that honour Ma'am, just let me rest. There's nothing left for me here, I held the line like I was supposed to now just let me go." she closed her eyes and took another breath before her chest stilled, Liara looked up from her Omni-tool, "Shepard, she's still breathing but its faint" her words were soft as Alissa Shepard nodded, "We need to take her back to the Normandy, maybe the Doc can do something." she looked at both the Lieutenant and the Corporal, "Let's move" both of them nodded as she stepped forward and picked up the unconscious frame of Amelia Grey.

They made their way back to the Normandy as fast as they could, all the way Liara monitored Lieutenant Grey's vital signs which were weakening by each passing minute and despite their best efforts Doctor Chakwas pronounced the Lieutenant dead upon arrival. Laying her down gently Shepard took a deep breath and turned to Lieutenant Grant and Corporal Williams, "I'm sorry" she added before walking out of the medical bay, it was a blow to be sure but one she had been expecting ever since the Normandy left Earth all those months ago; but Lieutenant Commander Amelia Grey had done what she set out to do, to hold the line for as long as possible and her sacrifice although right at the end of the invasion would never be in vain; that was one thing Alissa Shepard would make certain.


End file.
